Editing Eddy Merckx (section)

== Personal life ==
[[File:Eddy-merckx-1350831751.jpg|thumb|Eddy Merckx during an interview in 2010|alt=Eddy Merckx talking.]]
Merckx officially began dating Claudine Acou in April 1965.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=69}} Acou was a 21-year-old teacher and daughter of the trainer of the national amateur team.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=40}} Merckx asked her father for permission to marry her between track races.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=69}} On 5 December 1967 Merckx married Acou after four years of courtship.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=69}}{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=40}}{{sfn|Friebe|2012|p=11}} She would often handle the press for her husband, who was shy.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=70}} Acou gave birth to their first child, Sabrina, on 14 February 1970.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=140}} Merckx skipped a team training camp to be with his wife for Sabrina's birth.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=140}} Acou later gave birth to a son, [[Axel Merckx|Axel]], who also became a professional cyclist.{{sfn|Heijmans|Mallon|2011|p=132}}{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=83}}{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=288}} Merckx was brought up speaking [[Flemish dialects|Flemish]], but was taught [[French language|French]] in school.{{sfn|Fotheringham|2013|p=83}}

In 1996 [[Albert II of Belgium]], King of the Belgians, gave him the title of [[baron]].{{sfn|Heijmans|Mallon|2011|p=132}}{{sfn|Friebe|2012|p=335}} In Italy, Merckx was given the title of ''[[Cavaliere]]''.{{sfn|Friebe|2012|p=335}} In 2011, he was named [[Legion of Honour|Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur]] by then French President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] in Paris, having been named ''Chevalier'' (Knight) of the order in January 1975.{{sfn|Friebe|2012|p=335}}<ref name="CDLH">{{cite news|url=http://www.lapresse.ca/sports/autres-sports/cyclisme/201112/06/01-4475064-eddy-merckx-eleve-au-rang-de-commandeur-de-la-legion-dhonneur.php|title=Eddy Merckx élevé au rang de Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur |work=La Presse|trans-title=Eddy Merckx to the rank of Commander of the Legion of Honour|language=fr|date=6 December 2011|agency=[[Agence France-Presse]]|access-date=27 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712141400/http://www.lapresse.ca/sports/autres-sports/cyclisme/201112/06/01-4475064-eddy-merckx-eleve-au-rang-de-commandeur-de-la-legion-dhonneur.php|archive-date=12 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Merckx has become an ambassador for the Damien The Leper Society, a foundation named after a Catholic priest, which battles [[leprosy]] and other diseases in developing countries.{{sfn|Thorne|Lambers|1998|p=202}} He was blessed by [[Pope John Paul II]] in Brussels in the 1990s.{{sfn|Thorne|Lambers|1998|p=202}} Merckx is an art lover and stated that his favorite artist is [[René Magritte]], a [[surrealist]].<ref name="CW Int" /> [[Salvador Dalí]] is another of his favorites.<ref name="CW Int" />

Before starting the third stage of the 1968 Giro d'Italia,<ref name="CN PM">{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/did-merckx-ride-with-potentially-lethal-heart-problem/|title=Did Merckx ride with potentially lethal heart problem?|date=21 March 2012 |work=Cycling News|publisher=Future Publishing |access-date=19 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712161743/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/did-merckx-ride-with-potentially-lethal-heart-problem/|archive-date=12 July 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> Merckx was found to have a heart condition.<ref name="Pacem">{{cite news|author=VeloNews.com|url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/03/news/eddy-merckx-fitted-with-a-pacemaker-to-control-heart-issues_278614|title=Eddy Merckx fitted with a pacemaker to control heart issues|date=22 March 2013 |work=VeloNews|access-date=14 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712160915/http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/03/news/eddy-merckx-fitted-with-a-pacemaker-to-control-heart-issues_278614|archive-date=12 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> A cardiologist, Giancarlo Lavezzaro, found that Merckx had [[Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy|non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy]], a disease that has killed several young athletes.<ref name="CN PM" /><ref name="Pacem" /> In 2013, Merckx was given a [[pacemaker]] to help correct a heart rhythm issue.<ref name="Pacem" /> The surgery was performed in [[Genk]] on the 21st of March of that year as a preventative measure.<ref name="Pacem" /> Merckx stated that he never had any heart issues while racing, despite the fact that several men in his family died young of heart-related problems.<ref name="CN PM" /><ref name="Pacem" /> In May 2004, he had an [[esophagus]] operation to cure stomachaches that had plagued him since he was young.<ref name="CN ESOP">{{cite web|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2004/nov04/nov29news |title=Merckx dispels health rumours |author=Jeff Jones & Hedwig Kröner |date=29 November 2004 |work=Cycling News |publisher=Future Publishing |access-date=19 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712162328/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news%2F2004%2Fnov04%2Fnov29news |archive-date=12 July 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> In August, he reported that he lost nearly 30&nbsp;kg after the procedure.<ref name="CN ESOP" /> On 13 October 2019, Merckx was hospitalised after a cycling accident, having suffered a haemorrhage and falling unconscious for a while. He was released a week later.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Long |first1=Jonny |title=Eddy Merckx released from hospital following bike crash |url=https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/eddy-merckx-released-hospital-following-bike-crash-440843 |work=[[Cycling Weekly]] |access-date=22 October 2019 |date=20 October 2019}}</ref>

In December 2024, Merckx crashed while on a group bike ride and fractured his hip. He will undergo surgery at the same hospital as [[Remco Evenepoel]] did the previous week.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-09 |title=Eddy Merckx crash: Cycling legend to undergo surgery after suffering a fractured hip |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/cj901dkl2e4o |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref> As a result of the accident, Merckx required a full hip replacement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stokes |first=Shane |date=2024-12-11 |title='Next Time I Will Ride with Training Wheels': Eddy Merckx Gets Total Hip Replacement after Crash |url=https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/next-time-i-will-ride-with-training-wheels-eddy-merckx-gets-total-hip-replacement-after-crash/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=Velo |language=en-US}}</ref>